Oil-well-torpedo container



Sept. 30, 1930. F. A. SANDERS 1,777,153 OIL W 'ELL TORPEDO CONTAINERFiled Dec. 24, 1926 Patented Sept. 30, 1930 UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICEFLOYD A. SANDERS, 0F TULSA, OKLAHOMA, ASSIG-NOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO

J'OHNS-MANVILLE CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK,

YORK

N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW OIL-WELL-TOBPEDO CONTAINER Applicationfiled. December 24, 1926. Serial No. 156,962.

My invention relates to oil Well tor edo casings, and has for its objectthe provision of an efficient container for nitroglycerine or other highexplosive, such as are employed for shooting oil wells, and which, bythe detonation of the explosive char e contained in it, will be'reducedto granules or small fragments which will in no sensible degreeinterfere with subsequent operations. Preferably also my object involvesthe employment of such material, for, or in, the constitution of thetorpedo casing as will further soften and disintegrate when thefragments thereof, produced by theexplosion of the torpedo, aresubjected to the action of petroleum.

The metal torpedo casings heretofore in use have given trouble inoperations subsequent to the shooting of an oil well because the metalthough torn and disrupted, is fractured only at lines of relativewealmess, and in large part retains'its integrity as sheet metal.

In the drawing hereto annexed, which illustrates an oil well torpedoembodying my invention, A represents the tubular shell of the container,which may be of any dimensions required; B a plug, as of wood, whichfits in and should be cemented to, theshell A, so as to be tight againstleakage of liquid either in or out; C a stopper which closes the recess6 in the lower end of the plug B; D a suspension wire, passing throughthe hole -b which pierces the axis'of the plug B; E

a plug for the upper end of the tubular container A, perforated as at e,e, for the passage of the wire D, which is looped at d for theengagement of a hook or grapple, such as is used on the lowering cable.

The material of which the tubular shell is constructed, according to myinvention comprises a substance which is inherently brittle and subjectto conchoidal fracture under sudden shock. For example, the substance ofthis character, preferred and recommended, is an asphalt which, at thetemperatures encountered at the bottom of oil well borings, is hardenough to fracture conchoidally when subjected to the impact or shock ofexplosion. of the torpedo charge.

.Asphalt containing gilsonite willbe found apparently hard asphalt,stressed gently but persistently, will betray its essentially colloidalcharacter, and will flow, whereas a light blow of a hammer will fractureit.

Conversely, at temperatures high enough to soften an asphalt sensibly,an impact sufiiciently violent and abrupt will nevertheless produceconchoidal fracture. Under such extremely abrupt shock as that producedby detonation ofnitroglycerine, an asphalt seemingly soft to ordinaryapplication of stress or pressure, is none the less brittle.

In order to afford sufficient strength and toughness for normal service,the essentially brittle material, such as asphalt, should be reinforced.The structural composition which I prefer for the tubular container A,comprises interlacing or felted fibres, the fibrous body beingthoroughly saturated with asphalt in a hot and freely fluid condition.The fibrous material may be of any specific character, ve etable fibre,wood pu(l1p,sulphite pulp, wil serve; and if felted, an built up 1nhelical laminations into a tube of appropriate thickness and density,will serve admirably as the basis or framework to be associated withasphalt by thorough saturation .after the tubular fibrous body has beendried so as to free the inter-.

fibre voids of all moisture.

This saturation surrounds and embeds the fibres in asphalt. Asphalt isthe material preferred for the purposes of this invention, because it isnot only brittle (in the sense above prescribed) but also is miscible orsolu- I ble in constituents of petroleum itself. Because of thisproperty of solubility in petroleum constituents, a torpedo containercom- When a torpedo encased in a container consisting wholly or chieflyof an asphaltimpregnated fibrous body is detonated, the shock ofexplosion shatters the as halt into granules or small fragments, thebres, embedded oranchored in the asphalt being ru tured across each ofthe multltude of aspha tfractures. The comminuted material whichcomposed the torpedo casing-even though it be insoluble or immiscible inpetroleum constituents,will be of no more account than so much sand orgranulated rock, so far as it alfects subsequent operations on the oilwell.

And, when a material such as asphalt has been employed, if by animprobable chance any large part of it remained unshattered, thedisintegrating action of the petroleum will eliminate it.

I claim:

1. Oil well torpedo casing having an explosion container comprising anasphalt brittle under. the shock of detonating high explosive andsubstantially continuous through the body of the said container 2. Oilwell torpedo casing comprising in its container a tube of fibrousmaterial impregnated with material brittle under the shock of detonatinghigh explosive and soluble in petroleum constituents.

' 3. Oil well torpedo casing comprising as its explosive container atube of fibrous material impregnated with an asphalt brittle under theshock of detonating high explosive.

4; Oil well torpedo casing comprising in its container a tube of fibrousmaterial impregnated with an asphalt brittle under the shock ofdetonating high explosive and solu ble in petroleum constituents.

5. Oil well torpedo casing comprising in its container wall materialbrittle under the shock of detonating high explosive, soluble inpetroleum constituents, and substantiall; continuous through the body ofthe said wall 6. Oil well torpedo casing comprising in its containerwall asphalt brittle under the shock of detonating high explosive,soluble in petroleum constituents, and substantially continuous throughthe body of the said wall. Signed by me at Tulsa, Oklahoma, this 9th dayof December, 1926.

FLOYD A. SANDERS.

